“By Dickens “, we’re off !!

Just past the start of September and already I can feel the icy glint of performance sparkle in the air , as we launch ourselves heart first into our 26th PACE pantomime 2014

Beauty and the Beast 2014 . The third outing for this show , first played in 1993 with Miss Mhairi Gilbert in the bonnie role and David Wallace coming out of his Dame for the first and only time to play Sam Sam the odd job man

Oh we too , were young and PACE Panto foolhardy , and , we have the very scratchy early nineties DVD copy to prove it !

We may just show you it on one of these panto “social nights” to let you see the original Paisley Youth Theatre and your Panto directors in stage action !

Now 21 years on …here we are with a thoroughly differnt Beauty and the Beast , ready to delight ,and amuse , our nostalgic PACE audiences.

5000 tickets sold on the first two days of tickets going on sale ! Wow – that’s show biz!

The Arts Centre is now gearing up for The end of November , when PACE will move in , lock , stock and Victorian style barrel.

Oh we’re all excited this year …hope you are too …those that are coming with us , to our Old fashioned Christmas card styled Panto land …a touch of Dickens , a dash of Oliver and smidge of Scrooge to make us a right old merry carol ..

It’s started now …our Panto snowball is rolling its’ small way down the ready steady hill , looking to pick up and add more , as it grows to become the fantastic show that will open on Wednesday the 25th of November.( 10 short weeks away)

We have our Actors , our Teams , our Team Leaders , we have a Set plan , Costume Designs , a good opening concept ; And a soon as Alan gets back from his paternity leave ( yeah !!! Angela and he just had a baby girl called Alice !!! Much love to them both and to Amy a big sister at last ) the music will then join our merry scene and panto will be here with Umpapa !!

“Because that’s how it goes ” …or will go …with our new inspiring Panto words for this year !!

FIZZ, POP, UMPAPA and the TT FACTOR!

( all will be explained at the first team meeting )

Work has already begun on making Panto chorus members ready for action.

Last night saw the PANTO PREP class take to SPIRES 1 with enthusiastic gusto!

The “new to Panto ” crew who are going to bring a lovely fresh potential to each of the 4 Panto casts and some who this year have decided to take a different approach to the way they performed last year – no bad thing – first year’s in PACE Panto can be tricky to negotiate , especially if you are ” set in your personal ways” .

A bit of :

FAGIN! BULLSEYE! OLIVER, OLIVER! and DODGER!

( sounds better when you hear it shouted in ” cockney “…)

Was all they needed to get going and going …they got !

When the group moved to their respective Team corners , you could see already , team identities quickly forming , even in the first few simple performance exercises they attempted

A little bit of considered Panto thoughtfulness in 1
A hint of stage presence in 2
A whole lot of drama energy in 3
And a distinct creative Individuality emerging in 4

We shall see what happens when we add the rest of the TEAM to the mix …that and the unmistakable and stylish leadership of 4 very talented Panto combinations :

Eleanor Farrelly and Erin Collins – TEAM 1

Iona Ramsay and Nathan McGregor – Team 2

Abby McCann and Erin Niven – Team 3

Gwen Harcus and Lucy Hill – Team 4

Everything will change then ….with harder work …for the better.

I love this part of Panto best , the promise of what will come , the weeks leading up to the first team meeting , when it all swirls round my head in stage pictures and dance steps , character poses and random ideas to make Christmas magic appear on stage again.

There is only so much we can physically do in that tiny Arts Centre space , but somehow each year we manage to make it different , manage to make the audience gasp with delight as the red tabs open and the few , the happy few are revealed on stage ….

Size doesn’t matter when you have a big Panto heart – we may not have the budget of the KINGS THEATRE Panto in Glasgow , but we do have that magic special something , that keeps audiences coming back for more

It’s a combination of everything PACE do to make Christmas as special now as it was right back when we started …

A great story , wonderful music , talented young people , fabulous comedy and all bound together in good old fashioned family friendly fun

Here’s to another great year of Panto , for everyone that is going to make it happen .

“By Dickens! ” we can do this! And in the words of our muse for acting this year , TINY TIM himself …

“God bless us , everyone …”

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7 Responses to “By Dickens “, we’re off !!

I had an amazing time at my first ever panto prep meeting I was a bit nervous to begin with but now can't wait to get started! Not just with panto but also learning from my director, panto leaders and team mates :)

Can't believe it's this time already, the year has flown in but I seriously cannot wait for panto to start this year! With a new challenge for me to be an amazing and inspiring Team Depute along with my amazing Team Leader, I know we both are so excited for the first team meeting in just under two weeks time to meet our amazing team for the first time as a unit. I have no doubt in my mind that this year is going to be a good one! Roll on the 18th!See you all then!

As Erin said can't believe how fast this year has been just seems like we have done mother goose but im also quite happy and really excited to starts this years Pantomime I love the thought of the dickens and Oliver theme etc.Can't contain the excitement me and Iona have for this years panto & first meeting just can't wait to meet the team and get started.2014 will be a year to remember. See you all in the town!

I can almost feel the building excitement just reading your post!!
So wish we could be there this year - I remember well all the great times we had at PACE pantos...Good luck to everyone & wishing you all a fantastic panto season!